new years plans for ketopain

by the end of 2018, I became aware of the value of time and how it doesn't let up. I used to be excited about getting older, as I believed the older I get the more freedoms I will enjoy. Recently, and the more younger people I wittness, I have been filling up with a sense of responsibility towards my own dreams and the well being of life on earth. I am sure this is common amongst thirty some year olds. I am now filled with a sense of urgency and responsibility I rarely felt before. Existential crisis aside, I realized there are key elements in my habits that need to change in order for me to inch closer towards my vision of my best self.

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publish daily

I create new recipes and think up posts to share each day, and I never make time to do it. Admittedly, I have good reasons as school and a full time day job take priority, but I have to remind myself that this is important work that may not yield an instant reward; the less I consider it as an act that I ought to reward me financially or emotionally, the more I am relaxed and connected to my truth, and the more likely I am to do it with a genuine intention.

I got discouraged when I spent a lot of time making recipes, taking photos, editing them, and publishing them to be ignored, so from now on I am just going to post things because I feel like it, and nothing else. So one of my new year promises is to ignore any thoughts and desires of financial rewards or superfluous attention from strangers, and focus on my mission and long term objectives.

I also must make posts without feeling the pressure of making each one fit a specific mold, sometimes I want to share a picture of what I ate today, or fleeting tips or insights, and I hope they will find someone who will find them helpful.

images of a recent creation of a keto biscuit, topped with a cheesy omelet, and parsley salad.

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be a powerful vegetarian athlete

(and eventually vegan). The more time I spend with other animals, the more I realize that I can no longer ignore the fact that this consciousness I am able to denote using language is present in all sentient life around me. I can not live knowing that I am actively partaking in the abuse and slaughter of billions of life forms that are capable of having feelings, memories, and intelligence.

I've attempted, and failed many times, to become a vegetarian. I blamed the diet for my failing health, but the truth is it was my fault for not doing it properly. I am learning now that there is an abundance of macro and micronutrients in the world, and I do not need to hurt another life or cause pain so I can thrive. I will get more into my vegetarian discoveries and recipes as the year go by, but instead of falling back into older habits, I am now pushing through and finding the right information to support me in this new path.

My body and health will be the ultimate test for me. I shamelessly adore a fit physical form, and it's been a life long journey for me to maintain and improve mine. Although aging adds another challenging variable into the equation, but I am best at adapting and changing to meet obstacles life throws my way.

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transform my body

I got that book and will go through it in an effort to master bodyweight training. I've worked out at a gym weekly for sixteen years now,. I love being there, it is my ritual. I have grown so much mentally and physically from my workouts, but I have now been stagnant for a while. This is normal to experience a lull in growth.

I tend to move towards my weak points and find new challenges. Bodyweight training, also known as calisthenics, offers a massive challenge for me to grow in areas of balance, flexibility, endurance, and strength.

a lot of the regression is due to bad eating habits around the holidays,
kind of depressing; the good news is I know why, and how to improve. 💪
which brings me to my last goal for the year:

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focus on balanced recipes

I get lazy and think that just because my meals fit my macros, then all will be good. This kind of thinking often resulted in deteriorating health. It is true that if I count my macros and and keep to them, that I will not gain weight and might even lose bodyfat. I challenged this theory recently, and went on for days living off of blocks of cheese. Cheese is ketogenic, it is however acid forming and lacks many nutrients that are provided by vegetables.

I don't want to get too much into it now. Although I did not gain weight, I have starved my body of essential nutrients and made it too acidic. (more on that in a later post.) This resulted in painful joints, sensitive teeth, and a stagnation in my body fat percentage. I also suspect that being this acidic has something to do with acne, depressive thoughts, and a build up of carbon dioxide that causes my joints to crack at every movement.

my pH levels from today. not good!

I will now imagine and create recipes that are both delicious, satisfy my macro AND micro-nutrient needs, and pay attention to the acid and alkaline balance of the ingredients. It seems like a lot to think about, but it's fun for me when I figure it out and create dishes that are, mostly importantly delicious, and super healthy.

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Thanks for reading,
and I wish you a happy and fulfilling 2019.